


we're going in circles (on the carousel)

by renjunshuang



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Kissing, Lots of it, M/M, Minor Drug Use, Underage Drinking, be warned, but only marijuana, donghyuck is so whipped, it starts in chapter 5, the ending is cute but sad, this is just a whole lotta fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-05-09 06:51:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14711189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renjunshuang/pseuds/renjunshuang
Summary: donghyuck had never believed in love at first sight, until he saw the pretty boy running the cotton candy stand at the traveling summer fair.





	1. in a state of euphoria

donghyuck had never believed in love at first sight, until he saw the pretty boy running the cotton candy stand at the traveling summer fair.

donghyuck shut his eyes, as the wind brushed over his face. he could hear his friends screaming out next to him shouts of joy as the roller coaster shot down another drop. a grin spread across his face as he opened his eyes and looked at the view below him. he could see the smiling faces of children, ice cream cones being dropped, crying babies, couples on dates… he loved summer. the sun was beaming down on him, and there was a light cast over his cheek making him look like he was glowing. he felt like he was flying.

when the ride came to an end, he climbed off with his friends. his head was slightly dizzy, but he felt good.

“that… was incredible,” jaemin gushed. “let’s do it again.”

“no, please no,” renjun sighed as he grabbed his head and shut his eyes. “i feel like i’m dying. i’m not going on another rollercoaster again you fools.”

donghyuck laughed. he reassured his friend that they wouldn’t go, much to jaemin’s dismay. they decided they’d get some food instead.

it was the boy’s first day of summer vacation and they’d decided to take a trip to the fair that pops up in their town for six weeks at the beginning of july. then, it would move to another city, making it one of the most popular summer attractions in the province. it was such a lovely atmosphere where you could go and spend hours and hours. it was donghyuck’s favorite place and he could always convince his friends to go with him.

they chose a simple burger stand right in the middle of a balloon popping game and a cotton candy stand. they sat down at the table near the balloon game. donghyuck ordered fries and a bacon cheeseburger, jaemin ordered a plain cheeseburger with lettuce, and renjun got a salad. the kid was on a diet, you know. they sat and they ate and they laughed as the sun shined down around them illuminating their childlike smiles.

“i want desert,” jaemin sighed. “i’ll be right back.”

the boys’ eyes followed jaemin as he stood up and walked over to the nearby cotton candy stand, where the boy at the stand was handing a little girl and her brother their cones. renjun turned back to his salad, but donghyuck, he couldn’t take his eyes away.

the boy behind the counter was blonde, his hair was long-ish, almost shaggy like he needed a hair cut. it was under a blue snapback, but his bangs peeked out from underneath the rim of the hat and they were splayed out across his forehead, curled up slightly in random directions. his t-shirt was green with no patterns and he was wearing a pair of denim shorts that stopped just before his knees. his eyes were bright and his smile showed off clean and shiny white teeth. there was something about his aura, it was calming and sweet and donghyuck couldn’t look away. donghyuck’s eyes met the boys for a second before they shifted back to jaemin’s, and donghyuck could read his lips: _hi! what would you like, pink or blue?_ even the way he moved his lips, there was something about it. and it had donghyuck’s cheeks flushing beet red.

“donghyuck, are you okay?” renjun asked as he snapped his fingers in his friends face.

donghyuck blinked and his face heated up more as he shook his head. “yes i’m fine, renjun.”

renjun chuckled. “why are you so red?”

“i’m going to get some cotton candy too, if you don’t mind,” donghyuck choked out as his voice cracked. “would you like some?”

“eh, let’s call it cheat day so why not?” renjun chuckled again.

donghyuck stood up, and his hands were shaking. his eyes were on the boy behind the counter this whole time, and he felt his throat going dry. he wasn’t sure why he was going up to him in the fist place, when he could barely keep himself together. he got in line behind jaemin, who was paying.

“thanks, have a nice day!” the boy smiled at jaemin as he tucked the money in the register.

and now donghyuck was standing face to face with this boy. and his heart was beating like a bass drum, pounding in his ears so loud and he was so enamored by the boy's features that he didn’t hear him say, “hello, what can i get for you today?”

it was like everything was moving in slow motion. the people walking behind the stand all seemed blurred, like a background noise. donghyuck felt like it was only him, and the cotton candy boy in the entire world.

“excuse me, sir?” the boy spoke up again when donghyuck didn’t reply (donghyuck had to pretend the subtle blush over the boy’s features wasn’t pulling at his heart strings). “is there something you’d like? pink or blue?”

“i’m sorry,” he replied in a shaky voice. “two pinks please. and, you don’t need to call me sir…” he stutters out.

the boy giggles, and donghyuck swears it made his head spin. “i’m sorry, it’s protocol!”

donghyuck watches as the boy grabs two paper cones and spins them through the machine. even the way he moved his hands, every so delicately (and donghyuck had to pretend he didn’t want to grab them and hold them for eternity).

“here you go!” the boy said with a smile. he handed the cones to donghyuck and their hands brushed ever so slightly, but it was enough to cause his breathe to hitch. “you’re total comes out to 3200 won.”

donghyuck fished out some money from his pocket and handed it to the boy with a thin, nervous smile. _i probably look like such a creep_ , he though.

“thank you, have fun at the fair today!” the boy shifted his cap on his head.

“i will, you too,” donghyuck said, realizing only after it was too late that what he said sounded extremely dumb.

“as much fun as i can have behind this booth for six hours…” when he noticed donghyuck’s expression he added “i’m just teasing, loosen up i know what you meant!”

“alright well, have a good day,” donghyuck said quickly, all in one exhale, before he ran back to the table to join his friends.

donghyuck’s head felt like it was going to fall off, his heart was beating sporadically as if he were dying, his palms were sweaty and he couldn’t _breathe_. you could say he's in a bit of a twisted state of euphoria.

“who is that boy?” he muttered to himself. “why does he do this to me… how does he do this to me…”

when he returned to the table, his two friends were staring at him expectantly. as if they were waiting for some kind of explanation as to why donghyuck was acting so strange. the bombarded him with questions.  _what's wrong? why do you look so red? are you nervouse about something? do you need some water? ... it's the boy at the stand isn't it?_

renjun was the one to ask the final question and donghyuck's head shot up to meet his eyes. "why does he do this to me?" donghyuck cried. "he's so beautiful! guys i don't know whats happening." he moved his hands around as he talked, trying to form cohesive thoughts. "his eyes and his hair and his smile GOD i just..." he placed his forehead on the table and slouched his shoulders.

"that's why you're acting like this? ahh our donghyuck is in love huh?" jaemin asked.

"i'm not in love you ass. he's just pretty," donghyuck tried to defend himself, but he failed.

"stop lying. you look like your having an allergic reaction," renjun said. "only love can do that to you man."

"i don't even know his name you idiots how am i in love..."

* * *

the boys manage to get donghyuck away from the table, away from the boy that was casuing him this agony. but the only thing on his mind was him. the way his hair peeked out from under his hat. the way he spoke, the way his voice sounded like what donghyuck believed now was the best sound in the world. the way his face lit up when he laughed. and he found himself wanting to curl up into a ball and cry. because this boy was so beautiful, but what were the chances he'd see him again? slim to none. he didn't even know his name. he was just the pretty boy from the cotton candy stand.

donghyuck, being a child at heart, convinces his friends to go on the carousel with him. donghyuck presses his forehead to the golden pole and shuts his eyes as the horse moved up and down. he needed to figure out a way to slow his beating heart.

 


	2. oh, it's you!

donghyuck didn’t get a lot of sleep that night. he sat up awake, thinking about the boy working the cotton candy stand. he wanted to see him again, so badly. and everytime he shut his eyes he’d see the boy’s smiling face, burned in the back of his eyelids. and his eyes would shoot open and he’d sit and stare at the ceiling. he decided he’d go back tomorrow. not with his friends, but by himself. but he didn’t know the boy’s shift, he didn’t know if he worked the same booth… it was worth a shot at least.

he watched the sun rise through his window, and the bright orange sun tinted everything in his bedroom. he found himself not being able to get out of bed. it’s like his nerves were like boulders holding his feet down and he couldn’t move. so he shut his eyes and drifted back to sleep.

donghyuck awoke to the sound of his brother taking a shower in the bathroom next door. he felt calmer now and he managed to pull himself out of bed. as he got dressed, he started thinking about what he would say to the boy if he saw him again. to be frank, he didn’t know if he would even be able to say anything. _remember me?_ no, that sounded greasy. _guess who’s back?_ it sounded strange. _oh, fancy seeing you here!_ that was it.

he told his mother who was sitting at the kitchen island that he was leaving, and ran towards the door. she was scrolling absentmindedly through her phone, probably on facebook.

“hyuck, where are you going?” she asked him.

he wanted to think up a lie, but he couldn’t bring himself to. but he was worried she wouldn’t let him go again. so he lied a little bit. “the fair. jaemin, renjun and i didn’t get to go on all the things we wanted to yesterday…”

“you really want to spend your money on that fair again?” his mother rose an eyebrow and put down her phone.

“yeah, we’ll be back by seven,” donghyuck smiled and ran back to give his mother a hug before he headed out.

he decided to bike to the fair, it was close enough. donghyuck loved biking. he liked the feeling of the wind blowing on his face and rustling his hair. he reviewed what he’d say to the boy as he pedaled down the streets. he was nervous again and he felt his head spinning. the fair was appearing in the distance, and donghyuck let out a deep sigh. it was odd, he thought, that he was going through all of this just to see a pretty boy again. but there was something about him…

donghyuck parked his bike on the racks and headed to the ticket stand where he paid the fees. the fair looked the same, but there was an aura around it now. the air felt heavy. donghyuck followed his legs like muscle memory to the place his friends had been just a day ago, laughing and having fun. he could see the stand in the distance and his hands started to get sweaty again. his walking pace quickened as he shuffles closer and closer to the stand, when he noticed something was off. he didn’t see the blonde shaggy hair. there was no sweet aura, no snapback. and donghyuck felt his heart snap in half. he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

* * *

donghyuck was eating an ice cream cone, and he was sitting on the bench next to the tilt a whirl. he figured he paid them money, he might as well relax and go on some rides. even though his heart hurt. it felt like his chest had been stepped on and whoever stepped on him wasn’t getting up. but he smiled to himself and almost laughed, thinking about how he went through all these lengths just to see some boy. a pretty boy nonetheless, but a boy. he got up to dump the wrapper in the garbage, and on his way back to the bench he heard a voice call out to him.

“hey, you’re the one from yesterday!”

that voice. donghyuck knew it and he turned around faster than the speed of light. and his eyes met with the boy’s.

the boy was wearing the snapback again, but today it was on backwards. his shorts were grey today, and he was wearing a denim blue t-shirt with white stripes. he looked even more beautiful today. and donghyuck was breathless.

“oh, fancy seeing you here,” donghyuck grinned.

“where are all your friends?” the boy gestured around as if there should have been more people around.

“oh, i.. uh i lost them somewhere,” donghyuck let out an awkward chuckle and scratched the back of his neck. he didn’t want to lie, but he didn’t want to look like a loser that came all the way back to the fair just to see him.

“you gonna go look for them?” he asked.

donghyuck thought about it for a second. he didn’t really have anyone to look for… “no, i’ll enjoy this break from their shenanigans.”

the boy let out a small laugh and nodded his head. a comfortable silence settled over the two, and they stared down at their shoes.

the boy is the one to speak up first. “so, what’s your name?”

“oh, it’s donghyuck,” he replied. “yours?”

“i’m mark.”

“hi, mark,” donghyuck breathed out. _mark… mark… what a lovely name for a lovely boy._ “you’re not working today?”

“i just got off my shift actually! so i get to enjoy my day here for once.”

donghyuck smiled. “well if you’ve got the day… wanna walk around with me?” he was shocked he had the courage to ask him, and the second he said it he felt his face heating up already.

“you know what, yeah i’d love that,” mark grinned. “maybe we’ll find your friends.”

“yeah.. maybe…” 

* * *

mark, because he worked there, had free ride privilege. this meant he didn’t have to use tickets to get on the rides like regular people did. donghyuck however, was one of those regular people. so on every ride, mark had to persuade his coworkers to let donghyuck on the rides with him for free. donghyuck always insisted he could just use his tickets, but mark always said to his coworkers: _do it for me? donghyuck’s my friend and he’s with me. if i get the privilege, he should to._ mark was clearly well liked in this place. most of his coworkers happily obliged to letting donghyuck on for free, except for the few that needed a bit of working.

the first ride they went on together, that donghyuck selected, was the tilt a whirl. it was right where they were after all. mark seemed nervous. once they were already on the ride, mark told donghyuck he gets very minor motion sickness on rides like these. donghyuck asked why he got on with him if he knew he’d get sick, but mark just gave him a reassuring smile and said he wanted to do it for the memories. and it made donghyuck’s heart burst.

after the ride worker made sure everyone was strapped in correctly, she went back to her desk and started the ride slowly. donghyuck saw mark’s eyes shut, but there was a big grin plastered on his face. and donghyuck wanted to cry. because under the sunlight, with the wind from the ride blowing his hair around and the prettiest smile on his face, mark looked beautiful. and donghyuck couldn’t take his eyes away.

he failed to realize the ride slowly speeding up, because with one strong turn, marks body was thrown sideways from the other side of the car. right into donghyuck. and donghyuck felt like he was on fire. and his head was spinning again, this time not from the ride. mark gasped and pulled himself off donghyuck with a light blush coating his skin.

“i’m sorry donghyuck,” he said. his expression was hard to read. he had put his hands back on the safety bar and was staring straight ahead. but there was a small smile on his face. and donghyuck found it endearing.

the rest of the ride went smoothly. donghyuck tried his hardest not to stare at mark, but he just looked to beautiful that day he couldn’t resist. and he could tell mark knew because his face was red too. the air that surrounded the two of them was drifting heavily above them.

they both got off the ride, feeling slightly lightheaded (but maybe it wasn't the spinning). donghyuck's heart felt like it was palpitating, and he hoped mark couldn't hear his thumping heartbeat loud like he could.

a few rides later, mark decided he wanted a snowcone.

"a snowcone?" donghyuck asked. "that's just dyed sugar water and ice chunks... it's nothing but calories..."

mark playfully frowned. "they taste good and that's what matters. i'm here for a good time not a long time."

"ahh, words of wisdom."

mark winked at him and began walking towards the snowcone cart. donghyuck followed behind him. he was shaking his head with his eyes shut, telling himself not to get worked up over such a simple gesture. he sighed loudly and cursed his heart in his head, before going up to stand beside mark.  _why does he do this to me?_ donghyuck thought to himself. 

mark and donghyuck decided on sitting down at one of the little metal tables in front of the concessions.

"so, what brought you and your friends back for another day?" mark asked.

"my friends?" donghyuck was confused, completely forgetting he "came with his friends but lost them".

"yeah, the two boys you were with yesterday," mark rose an eyebrow. "wow, an hour with me and you've already forgotten your friends."

"i guess you're just that mesmerizing, mark," donghyuck says in a teasing tone, although he means it.

"i'm that mesmerizing, huh?" mark chuckled and took a lick from his snowcone. (once again, donghyuck pretended not to notice the pink spreading over mark's cheeks).

donghyuck was losing his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm really excited for this story.. i hope youre enjoying it so far.


	3. mark lee...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late update... i'll try to make a schedule!!

it was now 6:30. donghyuck had spent practically the entire day with mark. there were still so many things they could do, but atleast they ate so many bags of popcorn they both felt like they’d explode.

“did you really come with your friends?” mark rose an eyebrow. “it’s been like, four hours and we haven’t seen them once!”

donghyuck thought over his possible options. he could either tell mark the truth, that he came alone. but then mark would ask why he lied in the first place and it would be a mess. he could stick to his story, but say that his friends must have left without him. but then mark could ask why they didn’t text or call him to alert him they were leaving.

“oh, i saw them while you were in the bathroom earlier,” donghyuck lied. “they’re here somewhere…”

mark nodded with a small smirk on his face. “alright, whatever you say my friend.”

donghyuck had to realize that he had to return home soon, he told his mom he’d be back by seven but he really didn’t want to leave mark, not yet. because his presence was so beautiful and donghyuck felt so _alive_ in his presence. this whole day donghyuck felt like he was up in the clouds, and every time mark would look him in the eyes he felt like his skin was on fire. He just couldn’t leave him yet.

“you told your mom you had to be home soon,” mark said. donghyuck heard an almost sad twinge in mark’s voice.

“I did,” donghyuck looked down at his feet. “i don’t want to leave yet, there are so many rides we haven—“

“come back tomorrow,” mark breathed out quickly. but his eyes were staring right into donghyuck’s and he was in a trance.

he sighed, “i don’t have enough though! which sucks.”

“that’s alright, you can come in with me if you want,” mark was still staring at him, and he has a small smile on his face.

“oh?”

“my shift starts at 12 and ends at 4, oh—but, only if you want to…” mark muttered sheepishly.

“uh no yeah i’d love to come back, i love it here,” donghyuck grinned, and he found his cheeks hurting. “tomorrow, i’ll be at the doors at four.”

“actually, go around the back, it’s where the employees come in. also! give me your phone for a second.”

so donghyuck did, and mark swiped around until he found the contacts app. and donghyuck watched as he typed his phone number in, and donghyuck felt like he was falling.

“so you can text me when you’re on your way,” mark smiled, and donghyuck could see all his teeth in all their radiance. “now go _find your friends_ , and go home,” mark said. donghyuck noticed the tone in mark’s voice when he said ‘find your friends.’

“yeah, i’ll see you tomorrow mark,” donghyuck said quietly. “around the back at four.”

“around the back at four.”

* * *

donghyuck was riding his bike home. it was still so bright out, and he was watching the sun shift to the west. his mind was on one thing, mark. everything about him made donghyuck’s heart beat like a bass drum. everytime he blinked, he’d see mark’s face and it was beautiful.

he drove up into his driveway at 7:02, early enough to keep his mom off his back. he called out that he was home to whoever was there to hear him before he ran up into his room. he threw himself onto his bed on his back and threw his arms across his face. he exhaled through his mouth and let out a wail.

“mark lee,” donghyuck whined as he shut his eyes. “why do you do this to me?”

the day’s moments began to replay in his head.

 

_“donghyuck, let’s go on the ship!” mark had tugged donghyuck by his forearm and pointed to the ride. “they’re so much fun aren’t they?”_

_“yeah, mark, they are,” donghyuck remebered the childlike wonder in his eyes._

_when they got on the ride, since it was so packed, mark was pressed right against donghyuck’s side. their shoulders were so, so close._

 

“mark lee…”

 

_donghyuck chose that he wanted to go on the bumper cars. mark said he thought bumper cars were scary, and that donghyuck would hit him with his car and send him flying to mars. donghyuck giggled._

_“we’ll share a car you loser. i’ll keep you safe.”_

_mark shoved his shoulder, “i’m not a loser you ass.”_

 

“mark lee, look what you do to me…”

 

_mark pulled donghyuck towards the racing game where whoever gets their stuffed animal to the top by spraying water at a target. “i think i could take you.”_

_“you think you’ll be able to beat me?” donghyuck rose an eyebrow. “i’ve won this game every time i’ve played for years.”_

_“that’s interesting,” mark said with a smirk. “so have i.”_

_“bet.”_

_it was a close match, but mark beat donghyuck by a millisecond._

_“i let you win,” donghyuck huffed with a pout._

_“oh yeah?” mark spun on the stool and faced him. he blew a bubble with his bubblegum and there was a hint of mischief in his eyes. “what do you want?”_

_“what?”_

_“what stuffed animal do you want as your prize?”_

 

donghyuck opened his eyes and looked over at the stuffed monkey that was perched on his dresser. he smiled and shut his eyes again.

 

“mark lee… i'll see you tomorrow."

although it was early, donghyuck fell asleep after that, the exhaustion from the eventful day finally catching up to him. and his dreams were full of mark and his beautiful smile.

* * *

when donghyuck woke up it was one in the morning. he'd fallen asleep so early when he'd gotten back and his body just wasn't used to sleeping so early. but he was so exhausted from the day he spent walking around. he wasn't quite sure what to do, it was too early to do anything. so he laid in bed and stared at the ceiling for a bit before he got bored of that.

fifteen more hours until he'd see mark again. mark was making him feel the happiest he'd ever felt in a long time. he hated the way even the thought of mark could change his mood instantly, he thought it made himself too transparent. but he was glad that mark was his friend now. donghyuck found it safe to assume they were friends anyways, although no one explicitly said it. maybe he could work his magic and make mark fall for him the way he was.

donghyuck shut his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. those fifteen hours would pass by much faster that way...

 


	4. a move???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's [the song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC7DmLsQN7s) hyuck was humming towards the end of the chapter!!  
> i also want to apologize for the late update, but school is over which means i can update more frequently!!

it was 9:30am. donghyuck was still asleep, but there was a faint smile and a light blush on his face. he woke up to the sound of his alarm ringing,much to his despair. he seemed to be having a pleasant dream. about what, we’ll never know. he sighed ad rolled out of bed. he walked up to the mirror and grinned at himself. today’s weather was nice, the sun was shining ever so brightly through his windows. the curtains were blowing sightly because donghyuck had left the windows open the night before. the ‘liquid sunshine’ air freshener that was plugged in under his mirror only helped the ambience more.

“maybe today i’ll find out more about mark,” donghyuck said to himself. “god, he’s so—”

“what?” he heard a voice behind him ask. “why are you talking to yourself?”

donghyuck spun around. he wasn’t really expecting someone to be in his room. but it was just his brother standing in his doorway, wearing a blue button up t-shirt and white shorts. he looked like he belonged to a country club.

“jeno, _please_ don’t just bust into my room without asking me…” donghyuck sighed. he felt a bit embarrassed that his brother just walked in on him talking to himself in the mirror.

jeno was the pretty boy. everyone loved jeno. not only was he the sweetest guy, but he had a very handsome face. he always appeared intimidating, but he’s soft on the inside. and he always had girls with him. he saw them as friends though, he just wasn’t interested. jeno was the perfect boy, donghyuck envied him for that.

“i mean when i came in i wasn’t expecting you to be doing anything weird,” jeno shrugged. “who’s mark?”

“a new friend of mine,” donghyuck wasn’t exactly lying.

“i see… anyways mom went out to the city with her girlfriends this morning for some convention and dad went to that fancy country club with the neighbors that’s about five hours away. they’re both spending the night so the house is gonna be free for like, two days. i’m going to have some friends over tonight, figured i’d let you know in advance.”

“a party?”

“you could call it that,” jeno grinned. “are you going to be around?”

now donghyuck had to think. jeno knew how to throw incredible parties. anyone that was anyone would be there, and _everyone_ would be shitfaced. god, were they fun. but donghyuck was going to be at the fair with mark today, and there was no way he would want to miss hanging out with the most beautiful boy he’d ever seen for a party his brother could throw anytime. _maybe mark would want to go?_ he thought to himself. _no… he doesn’t know me well enough he wouldn’t go to a party with me. and what if it’s not his scene?_

“earth to lee donghyuck?” jeno tapped his foot on the floor. “will you be here?”

“uh, i don’t know man,” he finally responded. “i’m going out at four, i’m not sure when i’ll be back. when are people coming over?”

“i said seven, but you know that means nine.”

“i may be able to make it then,” donghyuck said. “sure yeah. now get out my room.”

“no need to be so harsh! i’ll be downstairs, i might make some pancakes or something.”

and with that, jeno left and shut the door. donghyuck decided he’d go to the party, it’s not like he could be at the fair all day. although he could envision himself with mark all day… he decided he’d stay at the fair until 8:30. they didn’t even have to stay at the park all day because he was sure they could leave and get coffee or something.

the hours seemed to go by at the slowest speed. it was now only 1:30. donghyuck had spent the past four hours watching ‘how it’s made’ videos on youtube. it would be safe to say he was bored out of his mind. he decided he’d call jaemin and renjun over, maybe time would go by faster with company.

 

 **donghyuck:** hey guys are you busy rn?

 **renjun:** nah

 **jaemin:** not atm

 **renjun:** why

 **donghyuck:** wanna hang until around 3:30? we can go to the skate park or something idk

 **jaemin:** sure lmao but why 3:30?

 **donghyuck:** i have other plans

 **renjun:** you have other friends?!

 **jaemin:** GASP

 **donghyuck:** shut up i’ll see you guys at the skate park

 

donghyuck ran a hand through his hair and sighed. his friends were annoying. but he loved them nonetheless. when he came downstairs, jeno was sitting on the couch watching tv with his friend chenle. chenle was a grade year younger than jeno and donghyuck, but they were similar in a lot of ways which made them best friends. chenle and jeno were both captains of their varsity teams, baseball and swimming respectively. they both had they same sense of humor, the same sense of style, not to mention they both came from very wealthy families. and chenle’s parties? they might have even been better than jeno’s sometimes.

“hey chenle,” donghyuck called.

chenle turned and waved, “hey hyuck!”

“jen, i’m going to the skate park with jaemin and renjun for a bit, then i’m going out with mark at four, i’ll be back for the party though.”

“sounds good, see ya,” jeno gave a backhanded wave without taking his eyes from the tv, and action which donghyuck scoffed at.

it was windy outside as donghyuck made his way to the garage to grab his board.

* * *

 

when he got to the skatepark, donghyuck’s friends were already there. renjun was perched atop the half pipe swinging his legs. he didn’t skate, but he would come along for the journey. jaemin was currently flying down the halfpipe, the sound of the wheels against the pavement was loud in donghyuck’s ears.

“hey hyuck!” renjun called. jaemin was too in is zone to notice that he had arrived.

jaemin finally stopped at the opposite half of the halfpipe. he climbed down and walked towards where donghyuck and renjun were sitting.

“jeno’s throwing a party tonight,” donghyuck announced. “i expect you boys in attendance.”

“baby you can count on me,” jaemin grinned. “who’s bringing the goods?” he wiggled his eyebrows. renjun shoved him and he slid down the ramp.

“dude. everyone,” donghyuck chuckled. “you know we run our parties byob and byow.”

the times spent in the skate park were always the best. the three boys would always have so much fun, even if they were just sitting there on the halfpipe kicking their feet around and talking about their days. it was these summer memories that they would cherish the most. and donghyuck wondered if now would be a good time to tell them about mark. it’s not like they would judge him for it, he was just nervous that they’d make fun of him for falling so hard for a boy he met two days ago.

“hey guys?” he spoke up.

“yeah?” renjun responded, pulling his feet in front of him to cross his legs. jaemin just hummed to show he was paying attention, but he was messing with the wheels on his board.

“do you remember the boy from the fair two days ago?”

“sure yeah, the one that had you blushing all over the place? or course,” renjun laughed.

“how could we forget?” jaemin looked up from his board with a smile donghyuck couldn’t really read.

“shut up. anyways, that’s who i’m hanging out with at 3:30. we’re gonna go to the fair, maybe get some coffee or something i don’t know…”

renjun gaped.

“lee donghyuck, are you making a move?” jaemin gasped. “good for you man. but, didn’t you only meet him once? how—”

“i went back to the fair yesterday, by myself. i guess i just had to see him again. and then we kind of spent the whole day together i guess,” donghyuck felt himself blushing, so he pulled the collar of his t-shirt over his face.

jaemin laughed, “donghyuck, you’re so cute. i hope you have fun on your little date.”

“it’s not a date you idiot.”

“if that’s how you’re truly feeling…” renjun said in a singsong voice, and donghyuck most definitely didn’t miss the glance he shared with jaemin.

“it’s _not_.” donghyucks voice was like a whine now.

“either way, i hope you have a good time. are you gonna bring him to the party?” renjun asked.

“i don’t think so, i mean i feel like he doesn’t know me well enough to just go to a party with me, plus it might not be his scene.”

the other two boys nodded. sensing the embarrassment donghyuck was currently feeling, they both decided they would drop the topic. jaemin stood up to go skate again, and donghyuck joined him.

it was 3:15.

* * *

 

when donghyuck bid goodbye to his friends at 3:30, they sent him off with kissy faces and finger hearts. he wanted to punch them both in the jaw. he walked back to his house to put his skateboard away and to grab his bike. he could see through the living room window that jeno and chenle were no longer sitting on the couch. he wondered where they had gone.

he decided he’d text mark now to let him know he was on his way.

 

 **donghyuck** : hi mark it’s donghyuck! just texting to let you know i’m on my way :)

 

donghyuck shoved his phone in his back pocket. he rode for about ten minutes before realizing he never got a buzz back and he started to worry. what if mark accidentally typed in the wrong number? what if he forgot? fifteen minutes passed and donghyuck was still panicking. he worried he would get there and mark wouldn’t be there, like the paranoid boy he was. finally, just as he pulled up to the fair with his bike, he felt a buzz in his back pocket. he sighed with relief when he checked his phone and it was a text back.

 

 **mark lee** : hey donghyuck!! sorry for the late reply i was working the cotton candy stand… we aren’t allowed to check out phones during our shifts :(

 

donghyuck found the frowny face endearing. he also thought it was cute how mark put his full name as his contact.

 

 **donghyuck** : that’s alright dont worry about it mark! i just got here i’m going around the back now

 **mark lee** : okay i’ll be there in five minutes i’m just walking from my post

 

donghyuck sat down on a log outside the back entrance of the wooden fence surrounding the fair. there was sand around his feet, and he began drawing circles in the sand while he waited for mark. he started humming a song that had been stuck in his head for a while.

“i love that song,” a voice said from above him.

donghyuck jumped slightly, the voice startled him. but when he looked up it was mark. he was wearing that signature cap, backwards again. he was wearing a white t-shirt and his hands were shoved in the pockets of his orange shorts. you could still see the little blonde bangs poking out from underneath the snapback and it made him look soft. and beautiful like he always did.

“pyramids, frank ocean.” mark continued with a smile.

“yeah, i love frank ocean,” donghyuck said, his voice coming out softer than he meant it to.

“me too,” mark grinned. “shall we go in?”

donghyuck nodded. “i think we’ll have a lot of fun today.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> by the way, the mark im envisioning for the fic is the snowball project mark, you should look it up if you dont know what i'm referencing!!


	5. maybe i wont remember this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! thanks so much for checking this out!! please leave comments, they're really appreciated and could give me a bit of motivation :)

donghyuck convinced mark to go on the crazy mouse rollercoaster, something mark had been putting off for the past two days. the malicious looking quick turns slightly were slightly unsettling to him. but donghyuck made a face mark just couldn’t resist and before mark could count to ten, they were already on their way up.

“lee donghyuck if i throw up this is all your fault, i swear,” mark groaned.

“if you do throw up, please lean in the opposite direction,” donghyuck showed a cheeky grin. “i hate vomit.”

“you know what, i’ll aim right for you, because i love you that much.”

although donghyuck knew mark was joking around with him, he couldn’t help the loud beating in his heart. mark was still looking at him straight in the eyes, and donghyuck found himself falling. metaphorically and physically. they had just reached the peak of the ride, and the two of them plummeted down the first hill. he saw mark’s eyes widen in fear, but then his lips curled up almost into a smile as he let out a scream. one of mark’s hands was gripping the railing, the other was pressed against the top of his head so he could keep his hat from flying away. the little hairs that stuck out from under the hat were endearing, and they tousled back and forth as the ride moved. mark looked pretty like this, he looked happy. before donghyuck knew it, the ride was over.

mark reached over and grabbed donghyuck’s hand as the ride slowed and began pulling into the loading dock. donghyuck’s breath hitched.

“that was a lot of fun, can we do it again?” mark asked.

and they went again. and again.

after they’d ridden it enough times that their heads were spinning, they decided to get some italian ice. mark got cherry, donghyuck got lemon. that made mark frown.

“lemon is gross,” he whined.

donghyuck just chuckled. “to each his own,” he whispered. mark smiled.

donghyuck wished mark would stop smiling. his smile made donghyuck’s heart do back flips, and it made his cheeks heat up. and it made him stare, worst of all. mark scooted closer to donghyuck on the bench and looped his arm in donghyuck’s. donghyuck held back a sigh.

“you keep blushing,” mark said, his breath brushing dangerously close to donghyuck’s ear. “why?”

donghyuck shuddered. “it’s hot today.” that wasn’t the reason.

“it sure is,” mark said. donghyuck couldn’t comprehend the tone in his voice.

 

the sun was starting to set in the sky and golden hour was casting a pretty glow over mark’s features. it was just past 8. donghyuck loved how the sun set later in the days during the summer, it meant more time to see mark in his full glowing glory.

“you’re staring at me,” mark said.

donghyuck froze, “sorry, it’s just the lighting and everything… it would make a nice photo of you i guess…”

now it was mark’s turn to blush, “why don’t you take a photo then?”

“yeah?”

“go ahead, that way we can capture this moment,” mark said with a smile.

and so donghyuck took out his phone. mark posed himself so that he was leaning back on the bench with his arm thrown over the back. with his other hand he made a peace sigh, and he did a little closed mouth smile.

“it’s a nice photo,” donghyuck breathed. “the lights hitting you just right.” _you’re glowing._

“ooh let me see!” mark smiled, and that childlike wonder was back in his eyes. donghyuck handed him his phone. “you’re right, it’s nice donghyuck, could you send it to me?”

“of course,” donghyuck gave mark a warm smile. he felt like he was on fire. how did mark do this to him? donghyuck’s hands felt clammy and his head felt dizzy. the only thing on his mind was mark and his beautiful smile, and the way his bangs splayed out in random directions underneath his hat, and the way he bit the corner of his bottom lip to hold back his laughter. mark was mark, and donghyuck found himself focusing on nothing but him.

mark tapped donghyuck’s shoulder. “your phone is ringing.”

donghyuck snapped out of his thoughts and checked his phone. it was a call from jeno.

“oh, hold on it’s my brother,” donghyuck sighed when he remembered he told jeno he’d be back for the party. “hey jen, what’s up?”

“well, its almost nine and people are starting to show up, jaemin, renjun, etc,” jeno said. “take your time of course, but i’m just letting you know.”

“right right yeah,” donghyuck looked up at mark who was looking at him with a half confused, half concerned face. “i’ll try to get there at nine.”

“alright, see you!” jeno chirped before he hung up the phone. donghyuck smiled. his brother was just too nice.

“everything okay?” mark asked.

“yeah, i just told my brother i’d be home by nine because he’s throwing a party tonight,” donghyuck sighed again.

“sounds fun, what kind of party?” mark put his head in his hand.

“oh, you know…” donghyuck wasn’t really sure what to say to mark, what if he thought of him differently because of the kind of party it was? “i mean, it’s just your typical party i guess.”

mark nodded knowingly and smirked. “so your average ‘everyone is shitfaced’ party? or am i misinterpreting your embarrassment?”

donghyuck choked. “oh, uh yeah, one of those.”

“nice,” mark grinned. donghyuck was surprised. he didn’t expect mark to be into parties like those, he didn’t seem tone the type. donghyuck thought for a second. _maybe i’ll invite him? it’s worth a shot i mean he seems like he’d be into it…but what if he thinks it’s weird??_

“something on your mind?” mark asks when he noticed donghyuck had gotten lost in his thoughts again.

he decided to suck it up. “do you have plans tonight, mark?”

mark grinned, “i don’t, donghyuck.”

donghyuck’s skin felt like it was made of glass, and if mark gave him another smile he would just crash to the ground. he let out a shaky exhale. “want to come to the party at my place tonight?”

“yeah, i’d love too! sounds like a good time,” mark nodded and lowered his eyes. he spun his almost empty italian ice cup on the table.

donghyuck felt as if there had been a heavy weight lifted off his shoulder. mark was going to be _in his house_. the thought of that made donghyuck feel lightheaded. “okay, we can leave now if you want.”

“alright, lets go then!”

it turns out that mark could drive. donghyuck felt kind of silly when he walked over with it bike. mark told him that he could put in in the trunk of the car and he’d drive them both to his house if he gave him the address. donghyuck felt childish. 

outside the house, you could hear the bumping bass of music and you could see people through the windows. donghyuck turned to face mark, who was already wearing a big smile. this made donghyuck smile too.

“let’s party, shall we?” mark extended his hand in front of him as if to say ‘lead the way’ and donghyuck took mark in through the back door.

when he swung open the door, the smell of teenager mixed with the smell of marijuana and the smell of various alcohols became overwhelming. mark took off his hat and placed it in the pile of coats and shoes that was building near the door. he ran his hand through his hair and shook it out, and donghyuck’s breathe got caught in his throat for probably the tenth time that day.

“nice place,” mark said, and he slung his arm around donghyuck’s shoulders. donghyuck was sensing a new energy off of mark. an energy that was more confident, and it making him lose his mind.

“here, i’ll take you to the kitchen,” donghyuck said. “maybe we’ll find some of my friends and my brother.”

“all these people aren’t your friends?” mark asked as he walked with donghyuck through the crowd.

“no, they’re not my brother’s either. they just kind of heard about the party and showed up. that’s how it always is.”

mark nodded.

“lee donghyuck!” someone yelled. donghyuck pushed through the crowd to find the voice, it was jeno.

“hi my brother,” jeno pushed through the crowd and put his hands on donghyuck’s cheeks. his voice was slurred, and donghyuck could smell the whiskey on his breath. he made a face and peeled his brother off him.

“mark…” donghyuck began. “this is my brother jeno. jeno, this is mark.”

“mark! hi mark, how goes it,” jeno smiled, his voice was still only half understandable.

mark laughed. “hi jeno, nice to meet you.”

“can i get you both something to drink? something to smoke? anything?” jeno shut his eyes and leaned on the counter.

“you know what jeno?” donghyuck patted his brother on the shoulder. “we’ll get them ourselves.”

“okay! have fun!”

donghyuck ushered mark away from his brother. “i’m sorry about that, jeno’s a bit of a partier.”

“i feel that,” mark said and donghyuck chuckled. “but i’m more the smoker type.”

the two pushed through the crowd in the kitchen. their were warm bodies all around them and the air was stuffy. but mark was smiling. at the other side of the kitchen, there was a table set up with various drinks. donghyuck grabbed a red cup and a bottle of rum. “we can go find some stuff for you in a second…” donghyuck said as he poured his drink.

 

the bass from the music was loud in donghyuck’s ears. he and mark found renjun and jaemin sitting in circle with some of their other friends passing a joint around. jaemin had his eyes shut and his head was resting on renjuns shoulder. renjun had his head tilted back as if he wasn’t able to hold it up himself.

“is this more your crowd?” donghyuck asked as he looked up at mark.

mark hummed in approval. “wanna sit in the circle, or to the side?” he pointed to a couch in the corner of the living room. it was one of the few empty spaces in the house that didn’t have sweaty bodies making out on it. it was sort of off to the side, there were people sitting on the floor about ten feet away from it though. donghyuck wondered why they didn’t just sit on the open couch. he also thought over his options. he could:

a) sit alone with mark on the couch in the corner. pros, they were alone. cons, they were alone. that’s nerve-racking.

or

b) sit in the circle with his friends. pros, he’s being social, introducing mark to his friends. cons, his friends are annoying, his best friends know about his lil crush.

“we can sit on the couch i guess,” donghyuck said after a minute. “there isn’t much room in the circle anyways. just hold on a sec.”

donghyuck left mark’s side and squeezed his way past the people crowding the room until he got to where jaemin and renjun were sitting. he reached down and grabbed the half empty bag that was sitting on jaemin’s knee.

“hey, donghyuck,” he murmured, his eyes still shut. “whatareyoudoing?” he gushed out, sounding like it was all one word.

“i’m cutting you off, pothead,” donghyuck smiled and patted him on the head. renjun slowly opened his eyes.

“are you a police officer donghyuck?” there was real worry in his eyes and voice, and it made donghyuck laugh out loud. he shook his head.

“no, renjun. don’t worry…”

“hey! don’t smoke through all that or you’ll owe me!” jaemin said, much louder than he most likely intended it to be. renjun looked down at the boy who was still leaning on his shoulder and put a finger over his lips as if to shush him. then they burst into a fit of giggles, and renjun placed his hand on jaemin’s cheek and brought his head closer to his neck. donghyuck watches this all from a few yards away, and it made him think. but he just nervously chuckled, ran a hand through his hair and made his way back to mark.

when he got back to where they previously were, mark wasn’t there. donghyuck panicked a little bit. he looked around, and spotted mark sitting on the couch with his feet kicked up next to him. there was a girl standing next to the seat, but she couldn’t sit because of marks legs. donghyuck stopped in his tracks. he could tell from afar the girl was flirting with mark, she kept tucking her hair behind her ear, adjusting the low collar of her shirt and sending him subtle smirks with her words. it was easy to say donghyuck felt a bit jealous. but mark wasn’t really flirting back. he was politely keeping conversation, but his eyes never met hers and he kept playing with his fingers. marks lifted his head and saw donghyuck standing toward the wall on the opposite side of the room. his face visibly lit up, and he waved him over to the couch. the girl noticed the falter in mark’s attention to her and she frowned.

as donghyuck got closer to the couch and he was in earshot, he could hear mark say to the girl, “i’m sorry but you’ll have to excuse me. my friend is coming back.” he gave her a smile that looked almost fake. the girl looked up and donghyuck and rolled her eyes. he rose an eyebrow at her. she glanced at mark one more time only to see that the was staring and donghyuck and not her, and she walked away.

mark kicked his feet off the couch and patted the spot next to him for donghyuck to sit. “i saved you a spot,” he grinned.

“thanks,” donghyuck felt his heart doing the thing again. when he settled down on the couch, he handed the bag to mark and took a swig from his cup. “who was that girl anyways?”

mark shrugged, “i wasn’t really listening. i think her name began with a ‘y’ though.”

donghyuck just nodded. he felt the jealously that was inside him slowly bubbling away. “no one important?”

“nah, i mean did you see how she was practically throwing herself at me? it made me feel weird. no one’s ever like that with me.”

donghyuck didn’t realize the girl was making mark uncomfortable. it almost surprised him. because mark was _handsome_. very very handsome. mark seemed like a conservative guy in that sense though, so he could understand why he felt that way. mark didn’t seem like the type to just hook up with the first inebriated person he saw at a party. the thought made donghyuck smile.

“donghyuck, are you alright?” mark asked. “you’ve been drifting off to daydream land all day.”

donghyuck shook his head as if to bring himself out of his thoughts. mark had a look on his face that sort of read like concern, and it made donghyuck’s heart flutter a little bit. he hadn’t realized that mark had already started rolling a pretty decent sized blunt.

the party was still booming loud around them, and donghyuck sat with his back pressed flat against the back of the couch so he could take in the whole scene. it was just bodies. bodies everywhere. bodies pressed together in the middle of the room, dancing. bodies laying on the floor staring up at the ceiling, mumbling incoherent things to each other. there were bodies pressed onto of each other making out in various locations around the room. the air was hazy and thick and slightly discolored by the smoke in the air. donghyuck sighed.

“tell me about yourself,” mark said suddenly. he had his head tilted back over the couch and his eyes were shut. his hair was in disarray, and his bangs were hanging over his eyes. donghyuck’s breath got caught in his throat.

“what do you want to know?” he took another large gulp from his cup just as mark took a long drag from his joint. donghyuck wondered how he could hold all that smoke in him and not explode.

“whatever you want to tell me,” mark exhaled, and donghyuck watched the smoke leave his lips. mark’s voice was lower now, but you could hear the smile on his face in his voice.

and so donghyuck told mark anything interesting he could think of about himself. how he was born in jeju, june 6th, 2000. and how his slightly older brother (“i say slightly because he’s only like one minute older than i…”), jeno, is more popular of the two of them.

mark nodded along as donghyuck spoke, his eyes were trained on his, which intimidated donghyuck to say the least. mark was listening so intently as if donghyuck was telling him the meaning of life.

“tell me something about you, mark,” donghyuck spoke, his voice more slurred than it was before. “i wanna know who mark lee is.”

mark leant his head back on the couch again and blew out another puff of smoke. “well donghyuck,” he began, smoke still rising out of his nose. “i was born mark lee in vancouver, canada. i moved to korea when i finished elementary school. some of my friends here call me my korean name, minhyung, but i don’t really like it..”

donghyuck nodded, he watched the way mark’s lips move when he talked which made him blush again. like it did at the fair. and he found himself tuning out his voice. he found himself thinking about what mark’s lips would feel like if they were pressed against his own, but he shook his head as if to shake those thoughts out of his head.

“donghyuck…” mark said, almost in a whisper. “are you listening to me?”

donghyuck dumbly shook his head and leant back against the couch.

mark laughed, but it came out slow as if he was laughing in slow motion. “forget it then, we’ll talk about ourselves when we’re sober.”

the two sat in silence for a bit before mark spoke up, “thank you donghyuck.”

he reached out and ran a hand through donghyuck’s hair. donghyuck gasped quietly, mark’s touch sent shivers down his spine.

“for what?” he asked.

“making me smile,” mark grinned lazily and moved his hand down from donghyuck’s hair to his cheek. donghyuck’s breath hitched. “you’re good.”

“you’re welcome, mark.”

 

the party started to die down around 2:30am, and soon it was just mark, jeno, renjun, jaemin, a couple random stragglers and donghyuck. jaemin and renjun had gone off somewhere, jeno was asleep in his room, and mark and donghyuck were still sitting on the couch.

mark was resting his head on donghyuck’s shoulder and his eyes were shut. he was awake, just tired.

“wanna spend the night?” donghyuck asked out of the blue. he felt his head spin a little bit, a mix of all the rum in his system and the fact that he just asked mark to spend the night at his house.

“yes please, that would be nice,” mark nodded and slowly opened his eyes. “it’s not really like i can drive myself home.” he chuckled.

since jeno had gone to sleep upstairs, donghyuck was left to get the remaining few people out of his house. which proved to be a hard task because he could hardly stand up without falling against something (or someone). he was practically dragging people out himself, because _no one_ wanted to move. mark helped too, although he did forget where the front door was and had some trouble getting people actually out the house. he sort of rallied them together like a shepherd and brought them to donghyuck. luckily, everyone was so inebriated they didn’t realize a boy was literally herding them around.

“where do i put them?” mark asked, pushing back a laugh. now that the lights pushed back up to full brightness, donghyuck could see mark completely. his eyes were racer red and his hair was a mess, and he was biting his lip so hard trying not to laugh but his shoulders were shaking anyways.

“oh my god,” donghyuck chuckled. “mark please bring the herd to the front door.”

“i don’t know where the front door is,” mark said dumbly. “can you take them for me?”

 

it was 3:15am and the house was empty except for mark, donghyuck and jeno. renjun and jaemin had gone home (they got crushed into mark’s herd) which left mark and donghyuck the only ones downstairs.

“donghyuck i’m exhausted, lets go to sleep yeah?” mark sighed.

donghyuck hummed in response. “follow me.” he subliminally reached out for mark’s hand and grabbed it.

“we’re going on an adventure!” mark giggled. donghyuck found that he really liked mark when he was high. he was funny.

donghyuck turned around and began walking backwards, “if an adventure is going up one flight of stairs and 30 feet to the left,” he laughed.

“it is!”

donghyuck practically dragged mark and himself up the stairs to his room.

“shhh,” donghyuck put a finger over mark’s lips. “my brother is sleeping two doors down.”

“donghyuck i wasn’t saying anything,” mark pouted.

donghyuck just shook his head and collapsed on his bed with mark following suit. they both just kind of laid next to each other, although they were lying horizontally on the bed instead of vertically, so their calves were hanging off the edge of the bed. donghyuck decided that they needed to get changed into more comfortable clothes, so he crawls to his dresser across the room to look for some clothes. mark was a little bit taller than donghyuck and he was a bit more broad, so donghyuck tried to find a shirt that was a little bit bigger on him. finding pants was easier, he decided baggy shorts would work fine.

“here, markie markie,” donghyuck started crawling back towards the bed. “you can change into these if you want.”

mark laughed and took the clothes from donghyuck. “markie?”

donghyuck nodded.

“it’s cute,’ mark giggled again.

 

when they were both changed and ready for bed, they didn’t hesitate to leap into donghyuck’s bed at the speed of light. only once they were comfy under the covers did they realize that they would be sleeping in the same bed. although it was dark, donghyuck really hoped mark wouldn’t be able to see the pink spreading across his face. without any waring, mark turned over to face donghyuck.

“hey,” mark said.

“hi, markie,” donghyuck smiled.

“thank you for taking care of me and stuff, or at least helping me out, you know.”

“of course mark, anything for you,” there was humor in his voice, but he meant every word.

mark squished his face into the pillow and sighed,” goodnight hyuck. i’m really gonna miss you.”

his voice came out like a whisper. donghyuck barely caught that last part, but he did.

“mark? what do you mean?”

but the other boy had already drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> hello!  
> i'll try to do my best to update this as often as I can, thank you so much for reading!!


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